Books I Read in 2011

Inspirational. Good ideas.

Superior. Excellent examination of the struggles of two recently-widowed English Jews and their would-be-Jew friend, dealing with life amidst growing anti-Semitism in the face of the shameful and violent mistreatment of Palestinians by Zionist Israel.

Learn and be inspired by a stock market guru. Buy and sell stocks right by spotting bottoms and tops. Make money.

Excellent read for every serious parent by Yale law professor and "Chinese mother" of two musically very prodigious daughters. Well-written, moving story of Ms. Chua's relentless determination to push her daughters to excellence, and her eventual surrender to her younger (13-year-old) one.

Filled with great, practical financial advice based on Cramer's years of study and experience in the investing business.

Moving. Honest. Inspiring. Ms. Armstrong, escaping a convent and overcoming temporal lobe epilepsy, finds that the study of meaning in religion and God are her true passions. "...look into your own heart, find out what distresses you, and then refrain from inflicting similar pain on other people." This is the essence of religious life. Everything else is commentary.

Disenchanted journalist drops out of his old life in chase of an injured hare; becomes wandering woodsman, bear hunter. Adventurous. Imaginative. Fun.

Classic. Tragic tale very well told. Poor Anna.

Suzuki describes the development of the philosophy of his method of music education of young children.

Fascinating. Inspires one to study physics. Is M-theory the complete theory of the universe? A universe that creates itself?

Boyle just keeps getting better. One of our best story-tellers ever.

Yes, let's do it! http://charterforcompassion.org

Cogent argument, well documented and annotated, by Yale law professor. History has taught us that free markets favor already market dominant minorities. Adding democracy is likely to be disastrous, resulting in cruel, even genocidal, attacks on those minorities from the newly empowered majority.

Mind expanding. Is ours just one of many universes?

Good well-referenced explanation of the classic conservative approach to investing.

Quite a tale. Good read.

Masterful, magical picture of how that Goon, time, subtly completely changes everything. A collection of uniquely charming stories woven together across the years with irresistible characters like you and me.

Awesome piece of work! Thoroughly documented with over 80 pages of references. Brilliantly written historical narrative of the essential role oil has played in the lives of we "hydrocarbon" people. Filled with anecdotes, quotes and vivid character portrayals that keep the reader unforgettably right in the midst of the action.

Sobering look at how U.S. policy and the behavior of its people is causing its downfall as a leading economic power in favor of other rapidly rising countries, especially China.

Superior. Couldn't put it down.

Well told. Thoughtfully introspective winner of 2009 PEN/Faulkner.

Gem of a novel. LOL hilarious and heart wrenching sad, just like life.

Interesting, well-written first novel by Dr. Verghese. Lots of accurate, detailed medical knowledge and experience evident; but overall story feels just a wee bit too fantastic.

Super story telling by a great talent. An irresistible adventure.

Not bad.

PEN/Faulkner award winner. Nine powerful stories of repercussions of WW II in Asia. New best anti-war book.

Riches to rags intersects rags to riches, but nowhere happiness. Well told.

An upgrade to his earlier "Authentic Happiness." Write down three things that went well for you today. Write why each went well. Repeat daily. See www.authentichappiness.com

A glorious collection of 27 wonderful stories, artistically crafted and told in deliciously poetic prose by the inimitable Eisenberg.

Short novel looks at scenes of one Tokyo night. Appealing. Imaginative.

Wow! What a mind-bending trip! Extraordinarily imaginative metaphysical adventure in growing up, life, death, sex, violence, raining fish and talking with cats.

Gripping true story of the murderers of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, November 1959.

Masterful, elegant, irresistible story within a story.

Forty practical tips from psychologist Gunn.

Amazing piece of work. Superbly referenced, detailed, sensitive, moving biography of one of our greatest Americans, the voice of our Declaration of Independence - the reason it got done and approved when it did. Enjoyed life-long, deep, spiritual and inspirational relationship with the amazing Abigail Adams. Best friends at the end, Adams and Tom Jefferson both died on the same day, July 4, 50 years after the signing of the Declaration!

Wonderful. Better than his award-winning fictional Netherland. O'Neill researches, reveals and carefully analyzes the stories around the World War Two imprisonment of both of his grandfathers.

Masterful. Clever. Funny. Man Asian Literary Prize winning first novel! Recommended reading for everyone but especially for Filipino expatriates, balikbayan, or U.S. Philippines aficionados with some Tagalog skills. Readers will wonder: Is this fiction? Who is really telling this story? Who is it really about?

Superior first novel. Get inside the head of Jennifer White, demented retired orthopedic surgeon accused of murdering her best friend. Hard to put down.

Very good useful stuff for parents and teachers of 3 to 5 year-olds. Learn more at www.positivediscipline.com and www.positivediscipline.org.

A deliciously imagined adventure.

Spellbinding, unauthorized but authoritative, well-documented revelation of some of the misadventures and incredible achievements of the unique genius that is Steve Jobs.

Fourteen imaginative, intriguing, satisfying short stories. Boyle can write a great short story about anything, anybody, anywhere.

Definitive masterpiece. Tells one of the greatest American stories, that of President Harry S. Truman - ordinary, small-town midwestern citizen with no college education who became president almost accidentally and, using the Bible, a deep knowledge and understanding of history and his profound personal integrity as guides, successfully faced some our country's most important decisions: whether to use the atomic bomb, creation of the United Nations, dealing with post-World War II Europe (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan), the Berlin Airlift, recognition of Israel, formation of NATO, committing our armed forces to Korea, and helping ensure civilian control over our military. Proved that each of us is capable of greatness, and that Presidents are regular people.

Dead news anchor finds himself in Hell. Wondering what put him there and seeking to escape if possible, he works in Hell as a TV news anchor interviewing famous others, asking why they think they are in Hell. Turns out everyone is there. Teaming with horrors, but also full of funny, even hilarious, moments.

Use Grosshans 5-step Ladder to be an effective parent and avoid or repair any imbalance of family power (IFP). Successful method based on lots of clinical experience. Well-explained with lots of good examples.

The power of first impressions. How they hurt us; and how they can be honed to help us. Very interesting read.

Powerful stuff. National Book Critics Circle Award winning first novel from a Minneapolis, Minnesota, gal who grew up in North Dakota as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians and became a gracefully artistic and deeply sensitive storyteller.

Fine piece of work. Story of the Goddess of Mercy, Minnie Vautrin, and the last years of Jinling Women's College, Nanjing, China - all tragic victims of Japanese war atrocities in the late 1930's to early 1940's.

Powerful, superior story-telling by an artist who uses language that not only paints, but also sings and dances. A collection of beautifully interwoven stories told by irresistible characters, through which the truth behind an old family murder gradually emerges. Oh, yeah, and there's lots of great sex in it, too.

Reality and fantasy are cleverly brought together in this unique, irresistible page-turner.

Wow! That's some powerfully moving stuff from a very gifted story-teller. Don't hesitate to say "I love you."

Very fine story-telling.

The definitive biography, the real Steve Jobs story. Fine piece of work. The journey is the reward.

Very superior, sensitive story telling.

LOL. Some seriously funny; others funny-serious.

Powerful sad tale.

Fine debut novel tells the story of one Japanese American family held in captivity for years and permanently, deeply scarred by the irrational, paranoid racism that flared up after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

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